Calico Squash Casserole

My taste buds are still dancing!!!! This dish was fantastic even though I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I couldn't put the carrots in because I'm allergic, didn't have water chestnuts, didn't have pimento, so I subbed with a small can of green chilies. I threw in some garlic and onions powders along with a little cayenne for a bit of a kick. The Ritz cheese crackers I had seemed to work well. In lieu of cheddar I used grated parm. Even without the suggested ingredients, this recipe was superb. My youngest daughter didn't even bother with the hamburgers my hubby made. No leftovers! (darn) Thanks so much!!!!

I made this last night for our annual family Christmas party. My cynical relatives (especially the men) turned their noses up when they heard the list of ingredients, but they ate their words - and my ENTIRE dish - once it was on the table. It was voted the best dish of the day! My only note is that it definitely does not take only 10 minutes to prepare and I had to cook it about twice the length of time the recipe called for. It turned out perfectly though!

I followed the recipe exactly.The mayonnaise & cream of mushroom soup completely take over the flavor of this recipe. Neither my boyfriend or I cared this recipe. How sad. Was nothing like other yummy squash casserole dishes i have enjoyed in the past. bummer (update) i just wanted to add, that i am still teased about making this recipe, my boyfriend refers to is as that 'hot mayonaisse casserole thing'.

Sauteed instead of boiled, to keep all the vitamins and flavor. No green onions on hand, doubled zucchini, halved melted butter. Not sure if the pimentos added anything, so I may leave them out next time. Used reduced fat crackers, mayo and soup. Crunchy, creamy, cheesy, crispy - yum.

I've made this several times and it's always turned out well, whether I made it for three or thirty (and yes, I DID make it for thirty). I've played around with the ingredients, but it's best with only a little extra squash. Definitely keep the water chestnuts, pimientos, and especially the Ritz crackers -- it's not as good with any other kind. I've not made it in awhile because it's a better winter recipe, but I'm looking forward to having it again.

Another great recipe! I served this to a husband and 2 preschoolers who don't like squash, and it was a huge hit! I've made it twice, and the second time I was almost out of "buttery round crackers", so I used some saltines. DON'T DO IT! It was not nearly as good...I ended up throwing almost half of it away.:) Moral is: USE the Buttery Crackers!

One word - AWESOME! A staple for the summer dinner table. This recipe uses much from the summer garden/farmer's market and packs a big punch. You have the great flavor and the bonus of the value of serving several healthy veggies in one appealing casserole. I have shared this with several friends and family members and it has received only raves. Stop what you are doing and add this one to your recipe box...it's a keeper! Note: To save time you can boil the veggies and seperately mix the wet ingredients the night before. The next day just combine and add the crackers and you can speed up the process.

Yum! I love it! I did leave out the water chestnuts and pimento peppers just for personal preference of taste.

My boyfriend went nuts over this recipe!!! He ate it three nights in a row and I have to beg him to eat vegetables! Awesome recipe and easy to make! Thanks for the recipe!

My husband loved this casserole! Even more than the chicken I made and says its a keeper! I didn't put as much carrots as requested, but it was still yummy!

This was by far one of the best squash recipes I've found. I could've eaten the whole dish myself! I too left out the pimento peppers. I will be making this often. Thanks Meli for sharing this recipe!

My new favorite squash casserole recipe! With a few small modifications, this is a 5 star recipe. On the suggestions of previous reviewers I eliminated the pimentos and increased the amount of squash. I sauteed the veggies rather than boiling them in water, and then put them in a colander lined with paper towels to let them drain really well for a couple of hours. I subbed out low-fat sour cream for mayo. For the topping, I used light butter and used reduced fat cheddar cheese. It turned out awesome! My boyfriend and I ate the entire pan of this over the course of 3 days, and still would happily have eaten more! I will be making this again soon!

Family & friends really love this. Be sure to drain cooked squash well, or it will be too wet. I added mushrooms, and used Cheez-Its in the crust. Great for Holiday meals, and ingredients are inexpensive. You really ought to make this.

This was wonderful! I had guests this weekends and served this. Even the 18yr old loved it and went back for thirds. I didn't have waterchesnuts, so omitted them. I also put some dill and tumeric in, and added about 1/2 cup fat free sour cream. The soup was 98% ft free, and the maynaise was aslo low fat, and it still wwas a winner. Will definately make this again.

I followed the suggestion to saute the veggies in olive oil. This recipe is the greatest way I've ever found to fix my summer squashes.

Used stove top dressing inside of crackers. Omitted the sage.Reduced butter by half. Used liquid from veggies to moisten the dressing. Used low fat cheese. I thought it was great. Next time I will try the crackers but frankly all the fat in the crackers and butter is a llittle scary!

I chose this recipe because it had so many 5 star reviews. I was looking forward to a great-tasting dish, but I have to say I was disappointed. I thought this was very average which surprises me because I almost always agree with the reviews. My husband wasn't impressed either. Won't make this again. Sorry Meli.

I have an AR cookbook with this recipe and have made this numerous times over the past few years. It is absolutely delicious! Very easy to adjust to ingredients on hand. I like to chop the water chestnuts. Great Recipe!

This is a great recipe. I find it to be even better the next day as the flavors blend. I did not have pimentos but will make sure I do next time.

ive made this a few times and loved it! i only changed a few things... i left out the pimento peppers(not a fan), i used 2 cans of water chestnuts(i love the crunch), and i added extra squash, and made sure that the zucchini was the same amount as the squash. also, i use about 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic(lovvvve garlic) and added garlic salt instead of regular salt, i also add about a teaspoon of fresh ground peppercorn instead of white. i added about 1 1/2 cup shredded colby jack(dont like cheddar unless in cheesey potatoes), and i used 4 tablespoons of butter and a quarter cup of mayo. thats just way too much in my opinion, especially the mayo. i agree with a few comments that its too crumby, so i only make half the crumb mixture and put it on top.

Wonderful side dish! I did not cook the vegetables in the water as directed. I sauted the first 4 ingredients in a tablespoon of olive oil in a large covered saute pan until tender and drained off any liquid. I proceeded as directed for the rest of the recipe. thanks to this recipe I'm planting squash in my garden this year!! Mmm, Mmm, good!! Thanks for sharing Meli!

This was excellent as is, no changes. Even my finicky kids who won't eat their veggies loved it...would definately make again!!! Thanks for a great side dish recipe.

Wonderful recipe! My boyfriend and son don't like squash but loved this!

This was okay, but to cut down on the salt and hold it together I would reduce the soup content and add an egg or two.

This was just okay in my book. Maybe if you add more squash to it, it would be better. Too much sauce for my taste, and not enough veggies.

If I could give this recipe 6 stars, I would! My 6-year-old and meat-n-potatoes husband both said it was "AWESOME". I too sauteed the step 1 items in olive oil instead of boiling and used fresh red bell pepper (about 2 ounces diced) instead of pimentos. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing!!!

Basically good but I thought a bit salty. The mushroom soup seems to be a bit overpowering.... but after saying that - my 9 month old loves it!

best squash recipe on the planet!!! I've made it as written and with some minor substitutions based on what I had on hand and both ways came out excellent! I made this last night and used sour cream instead of mayo, I also used one sleeve of crushed ritz which did not make two cups (more like 1 1/2 give or take) so I made up the remaining 1/2 cup with equal amounts of panko and Parmesan cheese. I used 2 diced roasted red peppers in place of the pimentos as I happened to have a jar in the house. I also used chopped fresh sage and thyme which gave an awesome flavor. My final modification was to use less butter, I cut it down to 4 Tbls and that was plenty. Oh and be sure to use the water chestnuts as they make the dish. Try this dish you will love it!!!

I rated this 5 stars because I think it is an awesome recipe, but also because my friend's dad thought it was really good too (he is the head of the culinary dept at a college here)! I've made it two years in row for Thanksgiving and I didn't change a thing...VERY GOOD!

I prepared this to take to a labor day cook out. I was so embarrassed! The dish was like half cooked and runny. I followed the recipes exactly but this definately needs to cook longer and needs something to bind. Would not make again!

Holy moly, was this ever good! I also skipped the boiling process, and sauteed the veggies until tender crisp. I also skipped the pimentos, as they didn't appeal to me, and I knew the kids would refuse to eat it. It was the best way we've used our zucchini so far. I would have eaten it as a main dish. My younger one wouldn't eat it, and my 9 yr old ate it, but didn't run for seconds. My husband and my mother both ate seconds and there was hardly anything left. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

I first saw this recipe in Southern Living magazine back in 1998 and loved it! The only thing that I change when making it is the cream of mushroom soup; I use cream of chicken instead and it gives it a really good flavor.

This is the best! I have been making this for several years and always get asked for the recipe. Update: I have adjusted amounts over the years, just for personal preference. I use twice as much squash (sauteed), same amount of soup mixture, half of the butter/crumb mixture, just because I don't like too much crust. I do like the other vegetables, but it doesn't hurt the taste to leave out what you don't have or don't like.

I just made a test recipe for Thanksgiving and this is my new squash dish. I added extra squash and zucchini as it looked like there was too much sauce for my original quantity of veggies. That may be what happened to you, Cristin. I did sautee the veggies in a little butter and olive oil. Added a little red pepper while sauteeing. Otherwise, made as directed. The dish came out better than expected. Five stars!!

WOW!!! I have a bad habit of messing with recipies, but I made this one exactly as instructed...and I was not sorry! Excellent! Thanks for a new regular!!!!

This is a wonderful side dish. I used all the ingredients as listed and changed the cooking method only slightly. I sauteed the onion in a small amount of butter instead of boiling with the squash. I also used a peeler on the carrot to make long "ribbons" of carrot. I put the carrots in the strainer before draining the squash which seemed to cook the carrot just enough. My family loved this dish and the five of us almost ate the whole thing!

Very good. I left out the water chestnuts though because I never have liked them. My husband RAVED about this one. He loved the crust! Thanks

What a great sidedish. I made this for the first time~Easter Dinner, April, 20, 2003. I have 5 children, two who don't eat meat. This casserole was perfect for the family members who are vegeterians. I had to modify recipe for 9- I will make this again and again. Thanks

I served this on Christmas Day to a family that doesn't eat much squash or zucchini. It was easy to make and tasted great. The family ate up most of it and loved that it was something different from the usual green bean or spinach casserole. I used steam in the bag zucchini and squash to save a step of par boiling them and then cut them up into quarters. It is also a very attractive dish to serve with all the various colored vegetables in it. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Oh Superb! Used Ritz crackers and didn't have any chesnuts or pimento peppers, but was still outstanding!! My family was sooo impressed..they were all licking there plates clean! A sure keeper! thanks!

I really loved this casserole! I sauteed the veggies instead of boiling them. I substituted crushed seasoned stuffing mix for the crackers. I didn't have the water chestnuts for crunch, so I left the carrots chunky and they gave a nice texture.

Very rich side dish. I sauteed the vegetables, including carrots, in 1/4 cup water and about three tablespoons butter before folding them into the soup mix. I also used seasoned salt instead of regualr salt. This is definitely something I will make again. Thanks for sharing :0)

I was disappointed that the vegetables turned almost to mush. My husband liked it anyway, but I think I'll sauté the vegetables next time instead of boiling them.

I assumed this recipe would be soggy because of the squash. Boy was I wrong! This was one of the best veggie dishes I've ever made. It was a hit at our Christmas dinner last night, the dish was scraped clean. I love this recipe.

Great casserole! Water chestnuts add a delightful crunch. Very healthy, tasty, and easy to make. Shared some with my next-door neighbors and they and their kids loved it and asked for the recipe!

It was a lot of preparation work but it was very good.

Yummy! Thanks for sharing! My family LOVED it!

Looks like the zucchini bake that my MIL made for our annual family Pre-Christmas party, minus the onions. It was fantastic! I will definitely be making this myself for the family. Delish!

This recipe was absolutely fabulous, as usual I did not have some of the ingredients but this is a VERY forgiving recipe, I substituted broccoli florets for yellow squash and broccoli cheese soup for mushroom soup and added pkg saute'd sliced mushrooms also I had 2 ears of corn left over and sliced them off cob and added. my guests all but licked the dish!!! I used all of the crackers,but,put them only on top.

WOW! I made this multiple times this summer to "use up" all of the extra veggies we were getting from out crop share. Delicious every time. I even made an extra casserole and put it in the freezer. It bakes up just fine once it is thawed as well.

Loved this casserole.

Excellent recipe! Next time I will add 2 more cups of squash to the recipe so it won't be quite so rich!

All the reviews are right. This was fantastic. I added almonds instead of water chestnuts and omitted the pimentos because my husband hates them. This is definately a new family favorite for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc....

Delicious! I was wary of the peppers and water chesnuts but the peppers added a nice zip and the chestnuts a good texture. I forgot the carrots and didn't have sage but I added some herbs de provence which complemented the flavors very well!

Really enjoyed this dish! I did add a diced turkey kielbasa sausage for my carnivore family. :) The sausage, cheese, and crackers added a really nice flavor for the non-veggie fans in the family. Will definitely be making this again!

This is colorful and yummy! I wasn't sure about the pimento but it works great with it. I would also think you could substitute roasted red peppers for the pimento. A very good squash recipe that doesn't taste like all those "squash casserole" type recipes.

This recipe was ok, I found there to be too much water chestnuts and not enough squash and zucchini. Next time I would try it with half the amount of water chestnust and an extra cup each of squash and zucchini, and cut the mayo in half.

I made this for a potluck while camping. It was very well received. Thanks...

This was delicious. I intentionally left out the cream of mushroom soup though. It's just too much when you also have mayo. Also left off the crackers. Will definitely make this again!

Made this for Thanksgiving--it was a big hit. This is the perfect holiday side dish as it is colorful,easy and delicious. Will definitely make again. I did saute the veggies in olive oil rather than boiling.

Really hearty and delicious recipe...perfect for the fall. My boyfriend really loved this dish. I used half the amout of sour cream called for, just because I don't like a "tangy" casserole taste. This casserole is really flexible, so if you don't have all of the ingredients, give it a try any way. I wouldn't sub out the ritz crackers, though, they really make this dish!

I have to say it was good. I loved the crunch of the buttery crackers and the creamy consistency of the dish. I didn't have water chestnuts, pimento's or carrots, so I just left them out. I did add chopped green olives to replace the pimento's and it added extra zing. . .but I think I will leave those out as well when I try this again. For those who are worried about the fat in this recipe, I used reduced fat club crackers, low fat mayo and reduced fat cream of mushroom soup and couldn't tell the difference in the finished dish.

My neighbor gave us a bunch of yellow squash and zucchini, and I was looking for a new way to use them. I thought this recipe was very good, but my husband didn't care for it (he found a small piece of mushroom from the soup and then refused to eat it). I don't like water chestnuts and didn't have pimento peppers, so I left them out. It still turned out yummy - but I wish there had been more cracker crust! (I'll make more next time.) This is definitely something I'd make again.

I gave this 4 stars because I knew what the ingredients were (ie fat content)and made it anyway so I couldn't give it a 3 like I want to. My main complaint is how unhealty this is with the cheese, mushroom soup and mayo, butter and crackers. The flavor was good. The cheesy cracker topping delish. There was a definite zip and my 1 year old ate it all up. I just like to see a little more vegetable when I am eating vegetables! So I guess I would add more zukes if I were to make this again.

Very good recipe. I used almonds instead of water chesnuts but left everything else the same. It does take a while to prepare but so worth it.

This recipe is pure deliciousness. I used fresh red bell pepper that I had on hand instead of pimientos, and used half the butter called for in the recipe to lighten it up a bit, and it was fabulous. I'll definitely make this again.

Very, very good... will definitely make this one again

My teenage daughter and her friends loved this recipe - I was happy but shocked!!! I will definitely make it again and again.

Delicious! We don't like mayo, so we left that out, but followed the directions besides that. It was great!

The casserole turned out pretty good although I omitted the pimentos and carrots. I think next time I will omit the water chestnuts too. We like just basic veggie casseroles. I did put in a little extra squash and zucchini, but not much. Love the ritz crumbles!

great recipe

Very good without the pimentos and water chestnuts as well! A crowd pleaser!!

This was pretty good. I used fresh mushrooms instead water chestnuts. Next time I will skip on the carrots.

This was excellent! I followed the recipe to the dot except for the butter part. Similar to an earlier review, I cut butter in half, and it was sufficient. The dish is already quite rich from the cheese and mayo, so I thought reducing the amount of butter would be a good idea. I also sauteed my vegetables instead of boiling. It was absolutely delicious!

Thanks so much for this recipe! My family loved it! I used last years yellow and zucchini squash that I had sliced and frozen! Getting ready for this years crop! I let the squash thaw in the collander and squeezed the water out before I used some other readers recommendations and cooked the squash and onions in olive oil instead of water. I did not have water chestnuts or cream of mushroom so I used cream of chicken and it was still great! The cheese I had was cheddar and monterey jack! I also only had the mayonaise wiith olive oil and black pepper. This is a very versitile recipe.

Wow thanks for sharing this recipe. Only thing I changes is I omitted the green onion because I don't like them.

Very good. Even people that generally don't like zucchini and squash liked this!

We just loved this one. It disappeared so quickly, though, that I'm making a double batch the next time.

This is a great recipe! I substituted sour cream for the mayonnaise, and left out the pimentos. I also sliced the carrots instead of shredding them, and cooked them with the squash. Be sure to definitely drain the cooked squash very well. Not only was this really tasty, it was pretty!

I'm new to allrecipes.com & the first recipe I tried was the Calico Squash Casserole. I've never made a casserole with 16 ingredients. It was wonderful.

Quite good. I would use at least twice as much squash/zucchini, to make it a little lighter. Water chestnuts are essential, as are the Ritz crackers.

yummy!

This is an excellent way to use up squash. I left out the peppers and water chestnuts. Made some cornbread stuffing and mixed it with the left over crackers and added cheese. I should have added some corn. This recipe is a keeper!

Yum! Yum! This is my favorite recipe on this site! I've made it several times for company and holidays, and people rave. Thanks to Meli!

Whew! This was spectacular! Can't say enough good things about this recipe! I did change it slightly in order to suit our needs. I did not add the carrots or water chestnuts. Instead, I added mushrooms. For the extra *kick*, I added garlic powder and cayenne pepper. The flavors blended so well ~ simply delish! This is a keeper for sure!

All in all, this was great! I did make a couple changes, though. Sauteed the veggies instead of boiling them so they had more of a crunch, as was sugessted by someone earlier, and I also used regular saltines instead of the ritz-type crackers and it was incredible. The pimentoes, when used in the correct amount, add a wonderful flavor. Also added 3 cloves of garlic to the sauteed veggies.

This is a wonderul recipe! My fiance' begged me to make this a second time! I changed it up just a bit and used french fried onions for 1/4 of the crumb mixture and also cooked the veggies a bit longer than what it said. The only suggestion I would make is that you must prepare more time for prep. Prep is NOT 10 minutes, its more like 30 unless you buy all your veggies cut already! WONDERFUL RECIPE!

This recipe is just wonderful. I love it, love it, love it. I made it with no adjustments, just like it's written. My husband thought it was yummy too. Definitely a keeper.

Very good, although I left out the crackers, used some cooked egg noodles; only half the soup; everything else was the same as the recipe...loved the Italian bread crumbs on the top....:o)

Sorry, I just didnt think this was good at all. And the leftovers were even worse. I followed the recipe exactly and didnt think it had much flavor. I'll keep looking for a squash casserole recipe.

I made this for a pot luck at work and it was very well liked. A number of people asked for the recipe and one person told me it was the best thing on the table (and I thought there were some tasty dishes there). The only changes I made were omitting the salt, adding a tablespoon of garlic power and pretty much doubled the cheese. After reading comments that said it was too wet, I made sure to drain the vegetables. I think great additions would be mushrooms and fresh green beans. I'll be making this again.

YIKES! After so many wonderful reviews, I hate to give this a one star, but I thought it tasted terrible. A 4 oz jar of pimento just overwhelmed this dish and made the only thing rather funky! Sorry, but I'll be deleting this from my recipe box.

Wonderful!! I make this disch for potlucks often. People who don't like squash still like the it. I make extra crumbs to add more to the top layer. You won't be disappointed for trying. It's lso very easy to make.

Excellent recipe. Because I was out of them I made the following very acceptable substitutions: a can of drained corn in place of the water chestnuts, cream of celery soup in place of cream of mushroom soup and seasoned bread crumbs in place of the Ritz-type cracker crumbs. I used a 2-ounce jar of chopped pimentos and they added great color contrast. Next time I'll probably opt for the 4-ounce jar and leave out the carrots!

I made this calico squash casserole for the first time on Easter Sunday. It was a big hit. Everyone loved it even most of the grandkids. I was asked by a few family members for the recipe. Now it will become a favorite at family gatherings.

To the person below who rated this recipe 1 star, and everyone else thinking of trying this recipe....the recipe calls for HALF of a 4 ounce jar of pimentos, not the WHOLE jar.

This was THE best squash casserole I've ever had. My husband couldn't say enough about it. The pimentos are a must as they add a great flavor to the dish. I added a little more squash than the recipe called for and cooked the veggies in olive oil rather than water. I also put a little more of the crumbs on the bottom. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!

This is seriously the best squash casserole I have ever tasted! It's really a wonderful and refreshing change from the usual, with lots of different ingredients. We served with grilled chicken and a green salad....delicious! Made exactly like the recipe said and it turned out great, wouldn't change a thing. A little labor intensive, but WELL worth it!

Fantastic!